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Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Couponing with Courtesy

Being
a considerate and courteous couponer should be something we all
strive for in our quest for the ultimate savings. The misleading TV
shows and YouTube videos that glorify the “extremism” form of
couponing are not helping put those of us who do it in a sensible and
conscientious manner in the proper light. If you've been on the
receiving end of the nasty glares, snotty comments and just bold rude behavior, you'll know what I'm referring to. The good thing here
though, is that we can each do our best to change that stereotype and
put a more positive spin on our label of “couponer”.

Below
are a few tips to make your own life, the cashier/manager's life and
that of your fellow shopper a much nicer place to be.

~ Be
prepared. Have your coupons in order and ready to hand over. Have
your form of payment ready to present to the cashier. Don't waste
everyone's time digging around in your bag or binder when you could
have had it all done BEFORE you ever got in line.~ READ
THE FINE PRINT. Be sure that your coupons aren't expired, are for
the same size/style/brand/quantity that you're purchasing. If it
states “4 like coupons per day”, don't try to use 6. Follow
their rules.

~ Don't
try to pass off photocopied coupons as originals. You're toeing the
line of legal/illegal and if the store accidentally takes one, they
don't get reimbursed from the manufacturer. This could have a big
impact on all of us with stores refusing to take printed coupons and
manufacturers discontinuing issuing them.

~ Know
the store's coupon policy. If it states they only accept 2 like
coupons per shopper, don't try to sneak in 4. If they don't take
printables, don't try to make them. Also, if they limit one store
card per household, don't try to scam them and have 8 cards,
including 1 for the dog and 1 for the cat. It's GREEDY and it's
against the rules.

~ Shop
during the off-peak hours. If you have all day and can shop any
time, choose early morning or late evening to do your couponing
runs. There is nothing more frustrating for ANY shopper than to run
into the store on the way home from work just to grab some milk and
get stuck behind a couponer with two carts and 75 coupons.

~ Along this line, if you have a cart full and the customers behind you
only have 2-3 items, ask them if they'd like to go ahead of you. I
always try to go to the register when there is NO ONE in sight in the store (other than the friendly cashier). Of course it never fails that as
soon as I get my cart unloaded, 5 people will mysteriously teleport
into line behind me. Where the heck do they come from???

~ Always
be polite to the cashiers and managers. They can make or break your
deals, so it's a good idea to have a cordial relationship with them.

~ Don't
clear out a store's shelves just because you have that major wad of
coupons for one item. Do you really need 59 dish soaps right
now? Products go on sale in a 6-8 week cycle. Those dish soaps
really will come back on sale again in the near future and the
manufacturer really will issue a new coupon around that time. A
good rule of thumb is to buy enough product to get your family
through until the next sales cycle, possibly plus a few extra. The key is to
BUY WHAT YOU NEED. Don't be greedy or try to get featured on
the next extremist TV show episode. Ugh.

~ Pay
attention while the clerk is ringing up your items. It saves a lot
of time and irritation if you catch a mispriced item while it's
being rung up versus after the sale is completed. It's annoying for
others to stand there while the clerk has to dig through your 12
bags to find that toothpaste that rang up wrong.~ On
the same note, if you are purchasing items with rain checks or
fill-in coupons, have them grouped together and present them at the
end of your transaction. This also makes it easier and quicker for
the clerk to adjust the prices. (Some stores prefer the rain check items to be done at the beginning, it will vary according to where
you're shopping.)

Remember,
a smile costs nothing and is worth everything. Being polite and
courteous, saying please & thank you and treating others as we'd
like to be treated are all magic “words of wisdom” for a reason. Happy
Couponing!